A morphology-based phylogenetic analysis of the genus Photinus, and its representatives previously assigned to Macrolampis and Ellychnia is given. One hundred and thirty seven terminals, fifteen genera and one hundred thirty five morphological characters are included. To test the monophyly of Photinus, representatives of Macrolampis, Ellychnia and Paraphotinus, recently synonymised under Photinus with no phylogenetic evidence, were included and terminals that belong to the families Lycidae and to the Mexican lampyrid tribes of Lampyrinae, were used as outgroups. The matrix was analyzed under a parsimony criterion. In this study Ellychnia, Macrolampis and Paraphotinus were not recovered as monophyletic. Discussion on the relevance of the genital morphology and their excrecences in the aedeagus, as well as the presence of photogenic organs and bioluminiscence are discussed and implications for its use to the delimitation of these genera are provided, with comments on the correlation of other morphological structures. Additionally, an updated list of Photinus species and the following nomenclatural changes are proposed: new combinations: Photinus agonus (Olivier, 1905: 317) for Macrolampis agona Olivier, 1905: 317; Photinus alexanderi (Fender, 1970: 37) for Ellychnia alexanderi Fender, 1970: 37; Photinus angustilineata (Pic, 1940: 16) for Macrolampis angustilineata Pic, 1940: 16; Photinus autumnalis (Melsheimer, 1846: 303) for Ellychnia autumnalis Melsheimer, 1846: 303; Photinus bivulneris (Green, 1949: 1) for Ellychnia bivulneris Green, 1949: 1; Photinus californicus (Motschulsky, 1854: 3) for Ellychnia californica Motschulsky, 1854: 3; Photinus captiosus (Fender, 1970: 40) for Ellychnia captiosa Fender, 1970: 40; Photinus cylindrus (Olivier, 1905: 318) for Macrolampis cylindrus Olivier, 1905: 318; Photinus distinguendus (Olivier, 1905: 316) for Macrolampis distinguendus Olivier, 1905: 316; Photinus durangonus (Pic, 1930: 90) for Macrolampis durangona Pic, 1930: 90; Photinus elapsus (Olivier, 1905: 315) for Macrolampis elapsa Olivier, 1905: 315; Photinus elongatus (Motschulsky, 1854: 35) for Ellipolampis elongatus Motschulsky, 1854: 35; Photinus faculus (LeConte, 1854: 17) for Ellychnia facula LeConte, 1854: 17; Photinus flavithorax (Pic, 1940: 10) for Macrolampis flavithorax Pic, 1940: 10; Photinus frater (Olivier, 1905: 316) for Macrolampis frater Olivier, 1905: 316; Photinus granulicollis (Fender in Hatch, 1961: 40) for Ellychnia granulicollis Fender in Hatch, 1961: 40; Photinus greeni (Fender in Hatch, 1962: 40) for Ellychnia greeni Fender, 1962: 40; Photinus hatchi (Fender in Hatch, 1962: 40) for Ellychnia hatchi Fender, 1962: 40; Photinus irroratus (Fender, 1970: 37) for Ellychnia irrorata Fender, 1970: 37; Photinus lacustris (LeConte, 1852: 334) for Ellychnia lacustris LeConte, 1852: 334; Photinus latior (Olivier, 1907: 219) for Macrolampis latior Olivier, 1907: 219; Photinus leucorrhoeus (Olivier, 1910: 189) for Macrolampis leucorrhoeus Olivier, 1910: 189; Photinus linearis (Latreille, 1811: 205) for Macrolampis linearis Latreille, 1811: 205; Photinus longipennis (Motschulsky, 1854: 37) for Macrolampis longipennis Motschulsky, 1854: 37; Photinus longulus (Motschulsky, 1854: 38) for Macrolampis longula Motschulsky, 1854: 38; Photinus meditabundus (Olivier, 1905: 318) for Macrolampis meditabundus Olivier, 1905: 318; Photinus megista (Fender, 1970: 41) for Ellychnia megista Fender, 1970: 41; Photinus mexicanus (Motschulsky, 1854: 3) for Ellychnia mexicana Motschulsky, 1854: 3; Photinus mixticollis (Olivier, 1907: 32) for Macrolampis mixticollis Olivier, 1907: 32; Photinus moestus (Perty 1830: 27) for Ellychnia moesta Perty, 1830: 27; Photinus olivieri (Pic, 1930: 90) for Macrolampis olivieri Pic, 1930: 90; Photinus roberti (Olivier, 1905: 316) for Macrolampis roberti Olivier, 1905: 316; Photinus subattenuatus (Pic 1940: 16) for Macrolampis subattenuata Pic 1940: 16; Photinus theryi (Pic, 1940: 16) for Macrolampis theryi Pic, 1940: 16; Photinus transversenotatus (Olivier, 1905: 317) for Macrolampis transversenotata Olivier, 1905: 317; Photinus vacuus (Olivier, 1910: 190) for Macrolampis vacua Olivier, 1910: 190; Photinus varicollis (Olivier, 1907: 177) for Macrolampis varicollis Olivier, 1907: 177; Photinus variegatus (Germar, 1824: 66) for Ellychnia variegata Germar, 1824: 66 and Photinus victori (Zaragoza–Caballero et al., 2020: 55) for Paraphotinus victori Zaragoza–Caballero et al., 2020: 55, and restored combinations: Photinus acicularis Olivier, 1907: 177; Photinus acremophallus Zaragoza–Caballero & Gutiérrez-Carranza, 2018: 161; Photinus affinis Gorham, 1880: 28; Photinus anisodrilus Zaragoza–Caballero, 2007: 62; Photinus aulophallus Zaragoza–Caballero and Gutiérrez-Carranza, 2018: 162; Photinus aurora Gorham, 1880: 30; Photinus circumcinctus Gemminger, 1870: 119; Photinus cordovae Gorham, 1881: 45; Photinus flavicollis LeConte, 1868: 53; Photinus fumigatus Gorham, 1880: 28; Photinus furcatus Zaragoza–Caballero, 2000: 9; Photinus infirmus Gorham, 1884: 260; Photinus juarezae Zaragoza–Caballero, 1996: 146; Photinus lineatus Olivier, 1885: 23; Photinus lunicollis Gorham, 1880: 27; Photinus perelegans Gorham, 1880: 31; Photinus salvini Gorham, 1881: 44; Photinus sanguinicollis Gorham, 1880: 30; Photinus tlapacoyaensis Zaragoza–Caballero, 1996: 145; Photinus tuxtlaensis Zaragoza–Caballero, 1995: 46; Photinus volcanicus Gorham, 1884: 260. The following new names are proposed: Photinus fenderi Zaragoza-Caballero et al., for Ellychnia obscurevittata Fender in Hatch, 1962: 36; Photinus ivanovitschi Zaragoza-Caballero et al., for Ellychnia albilatera Motschulsky, 1854: 3; Photinus lawrencei Zaragoza-Caballero et al., for Ellychnia simplex LeConte, 1885: 20; Photinus jamesi Zaragoza-Caballero et al., for Photinus greeni Lloyd, 1969: 35; Photinus motschulskyi Zaragoza-Caballero et al., for Macrolampis infuscatus Motschulsky, 1854: 38; and Photinus pici Zaragoza-Caballero et al., for Macrolampis parallela Pic, 1940: 16.